Israeli general says Gaza should remain ‘destroyed for generations’

A former head of Israel’s National Security Council has called for Gaza to remain devastated for decades, openly presenting Palestinian despair and destruction as desirable outcomes after Israel’s genocide in the enclave.

Retired Major General Giora Eiland told Israel’s 103FM radio station on Sunday that rebuilding Gaza would run against Israeli interests.

“Israel has no interest in Gaza being rebuilt, it is better for us that it be destroyed for generations to come,” Eiland said.

“The greater the despair in Gaza and the greater the destruction, and the greater the monument to what they did on October 7, years to come, that is good" he added.

Eiland, a secular Israeli nationalist aligned with opposition politician Avigdor Lieberman, opposes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu politically.

Yet his prescriptions for Gaza have frequently gone beyond Netanyahu’s publicly declared policies.

Calls for Israel to occupy Gaza land

Eiland described the 15-point Gaza plan backed by US President Donald Trump as “pro-Hamas”. Netanyahu formally rejected the proposal on Sunday.

“In war...the losing side loses. Germany, which lost the Second World War, was forced to surrender 25 percent of its territory,” he noted.

Eiland used the comparison to argue that Israel should retain the Yellow Line, which marks the territory its military occupies inside Gaza which Israel has continued to expand and may ultimately amount to 70 percent of Gaza's territory.

“Along with this, there is the territorial need for the Yellow Line, which we must not give up under any circumstances. This is a war, the enemy has lost, and we need land, not for settlement, but as a security buffer between the settlements and where the IDF can be located."

Eiland nevertheless criticised Netanyahu’s handling of Washington, arguing that Israel had become too dependent on his relationship with Trump.

“I believe Israel’s entire approach towards the US in recent years has been outrageous. It relies excessively on the personal relationship between Netanyahu and Trump, which is good on some days and less so on others.”

He advised Netanyahu to accept the US plan conditionally while protecting Israel’s central demands.

"Where did Netanyahu go wrong in my opinion? You should never say no, you should always say yes but... or yes in the sense of I agree if certain points happen," he clarified.

Eiland said Israel could temporarily suspend "assassinations" in Gaza as a tactical concession to Washington but insisted it must maintain control of the Yellow Line.

Since the ceasefire took effect on 11 October, Israeli forces have killed at least 1,258 Palestinians and injured 4,139 others, the sources said.

Earlier this week the United Nations Children's Fund said that at least 300 children have been killed in the Gaza Strip by Israel over the last 10 months.

Israel’s genocide on Gaza has killed at least 73,386 Palestinians and wounded 174,250 since 7 October 2023.